Calm, cool and collected
Better hangers, a backpack cooler, sock shoes and your dog’s gear accessible and organized can help make travel easier — or at least less stressful.
Hang it up, way up
Slim hangers conserve space in suit bags and hotel closets. While typical hangers slope downward from the hook, Higher Hangers dip at the center, then rise on each side in a kind of shoulder shrug. Clothing hangs up to 4 inches closer to the top of the suit bag or closet rod than on sloping hangers. Long coats and dresses droop less in hanging bags and are less likely to drag on the floor. Higher Hangers come in smooth or felt-flocked plastic, all notched near each end to reduce slippage.
Cost, info: Higher Hangers in packs of 40 for about $65 at higherhangers.com.
Cool drinks for days
LifeProof is best known for its smartphone cases, but the company has branched out with its tough new nylon Backpack Cooler. At 17 inches high by 11 inches wide by 9 inches deep, the cooler can keep ice (and the equivalent of 24 beverage cans) chilled for up to two days.
Adjustable padded back straps and chest strap help balance the load and reduce neck and shoulder strain. An integrated metal bottle opener and built-in mesh bottle holder flank the sides. The bag can protect more than food. Load it with makeup, lotions, medications and other temperature-sensitive items for a trip to the beach or protection in a hot parked car (the included refreezable ice pack can prolong cooling). A zippered pocket at the front is great for stashing documents, keys, credit cards and other small items.
Cost, info: LifeProof Backpack Cooler is about $70 at bit.ly/backpackcooler and other online retailers.
Feels like a sock ...
Everyone knows you’re supposed to pack sturdy walking shoes for excursions out and about. The folks who designed Skinners Minimalist Barefoot Sock Shoes beg to differ — or at least broaden your options. They take the stance that plenty of traveling feet would be happier on most terrain unbound by all that structure and weight. Skinners’ alternative is a pull-on, ankle-hugging high-tech sock with a grippy, shoe-like sole. The breathable multilayer uppers combine yarns made of silver-infused antibacterial, moisture-wicking polypropylene, silky viscose, soft cotton and Lycra (for form-fitting light compression).
The soles are made of a puncture resistant, waterproof, double-layer polymer/plastic compound and are securely fused to the sock uppers with no glue or seams. Weighing less than 6 ounces a pair, Skinners sock shoes are machine washable and stash in the included drawstring pouch or in a pocket. They are not intended for extended cold-weather exposure, nor for feet with serious orthopedic challenges.
Cost, info: Skinners Barefoot Sock Shoes in black with red, green, blue or other color accents are about $60 in unisex sizes at skinners.cc/shop/skinners/
Pack your pooch in style
Sure you could toss the dog’s gear into any old sack for the next big road trip, but wouldn’t a well-organized canine travel bag be more helpful — just like the human version is for you? The folks at Overland Dog Gear have loaded their new doggie Week Away Bags with collapsible spill-proof silicone food bowls, insulated treat and water carriers, and even a zip-out placemat — all systematically organized in easy-access internal and external zippered and patch pockets, mesh pouches and flaps. Available as a shoulder bag, a wheeled model or an extra-large duffle, all the bags are made of lightweight water-resistant-lined polyester; have padded, adjustable shoulder straps, multiple sewn-in handles, internal dividers and external mesh bottle holders; and meet airline carry-on requirements. Shoulder bags come in two sizes in solid colors, animal prints or camo look. The wheeled bag has a telescoping pull handle; the roomy Ultimate Duffle’s external sleeve slides over the telescoping handle of any wheeled bag.
Cost, info: Overland Dog Gear Week Away Bags, complete with multiple storage containers, are $43 to $50 for shoulder styles; the Ultimate Duffle is about $70; the wheeled model about $90; at overlanddoggear.com /week-away-bags